Just another college grad looking for a job.

[Firiel]

I graduated from college this past May. I graduated with honors and was even given the honor of being the literature student of the year from the English department. I was, of course, full of hopes and dreams, and then reality hit.

 

After working two dead-end part-time jobs for a few months, I'm aching to do something I care about. I really want to end up in the publishing industry as an editor. However, I'm not living in a very humanities-friendly environment, and I really don't know where to look for jobs besides craigslist, monster, and newspaper ads. None of these have yielded any results, and moving isn't an option for at least a year and a half.

 

My current plan is to just take my resume and bring it personally to a ton of different businesses that offer either chances for advancement or an improvement of my resume. These are my current ideas:

 

1. Newspapers (wrote for the school newspaper one year in college)

2. The local art and history museums (I interned for a semester at a museum)

3. The only local publilshing company

4. Libraries (I know many library jobs require a masters in library science, but I'm not sure if all jobs they offer do... does anyone know?)

 

Is there anything I can do besides this? And does this sound like a good idea at all? I'm getting so frustrated with my job hunting.

[lady00]

I think you should also ask your college career counseling office if they have any ideas. I have found that jobs often come up through connections (by that I mean the connection gets your resume forwarded and then if you get the interview, the rest is up to you). Having someone the interviewer knows forwarding along your resume goes a long way because they are almost guaranteed to read it if it's coming from someone they know and respect. Step one is even getting your resume/cover letter looked at rather than filed away or tossed in a recycling bin. Some employers don't even bother reading resumes that are sent in without a connection because it's just more work for them. Make it clear to anyone and everyone that you are looking for a job...you never know who you will meet. A friend of mine met an employer at a conference that was not a job fair at all...just a conference where there were several reps from different companies. One of the employers happened to be looking for someone that fit my friend's skills and my friend, just out of pure curiosity about the industry started talking to the company rep and the subject came up and the company rep asked him for his resume to forward to his boss. My friend wasn't even looking for a job that day...just went to an event he had an interest in and lucked out.

 

Ever had an internship in the industry you want to be in? I find a good way to find out about jobs is to contact former employers (even if it's just an internship you did for a couple months)...sometimes they will know about jobs and can point you in the right direction or even forward your resume and vouch for you.

[Firiel]

Would my college career counseling office be able to help if I'm not living close to said college anymore?

 

Sadly, I have not had an internship in the industry I want to be in. I was very unsure about what I actually wanted to do while in college and have only realized that I'd really like to work in the publishing industry since graduation. I have applied for a nearby grad program with the possibility of being offered a TAship and stipend, and I figure that will give me some opportunites for internships if it turns out.

 

Thanks for the good advice... I will definitely start being more vocal about my need for a job as well. It's hard for people to tell you who's hiring if they don't know you're looking.

[Anonymous122]

This is a stretch, but if you want something that will make you look good, you could apply for a special education aide job at some nearby high schools. It may not be exactly what you're looking for, but its stable and usually pays around $12-15 an hour. Anyone with a bachelors degree would probably find it pretty simple, too. I know a couple of people doing it while they go to graduate school in another field, because they hours are great (something like 7am-2pm).

[lady00]

Would my college career counseling office be able to help if I'm not living close to said college anymore?

Sadly, I have not had an internship in the industry I want to be in. I was very unsure about what I actually wanted to do while in college and have only realized that I'd really like to work in the publishing industry since graduation. I have applied for a nearby grad program with the possibility of being offered a TAship and stipend, and I figure that will give me some opportunites for internships if it turns out.

 

Thanks for the good advice... I will definitely start being more vocal about my need for a job as well. It's hard for people to tell you who's hiring if they don't know you're looking.

 

As to the part in bold, it has been my experience and that of my friends that yes, career counseling services will help alumni wherever you live. Give your college's career services office a call...my experience has been that they have no issue helping alumni who live far away and that they even have one or more point people whose job is to counsel alumni. Schools have a lot to gain from helping out alumni because they want to be able to brag about placement into good jobs. Also a lot of schools allow alumni website access via a login/password. I have had phone call appointments with them and also sometimes I have logged into the website (they give alumni a password to log in and view all of the job search resources that the current students have access to...the only difference between me now and me going in when I was still a student is that I can't go there in person...but for me talking to them over the phone has been just as useful. Also, it can be nice to talk to a person who has first-hand knowledge of what other similarly-situated alumni have done since they graduated (and some alumni give their contact info to career services for the specific purpose of career services directing other alumni to them for advice).

 

The grad school sounds like a great idea because if you do internships/externships that can go a long way because you can say that you have experience in the field. The additional schooling would also give you an edge.

 

But yeah, for me the most important thing has been talking to as many people as possible (even if it's just to hear about their jobs...one thing I have noticed is that some people are actually very helpful in the job search just be talking to you about what they do on a daily basis...it can help you narrow down exactly what kinds of things you want to do and give you a sense of what types of things about you you want to be sure to emphasize when applying for positions).

[lady00]

I should say that one time I would advise someone not to be too vocal about the fact that they are looking is if they already have a job and are very worried about their current employer finding out they are looking for fear that they might be viewed as disloyal and fired--in that case you'd need to be a more discrete while looking. Other than that, let anyone and everyone know you are looking--it can only help.

[Firiel]

Sure enough, there's a career services page for alumni. I sent in my updated information, and I just need to wait a couple of days for it to go through.

 

Thanks!

[Snny]

The joys of being an English major.

 

The problem that a LOT of English departments are now facing is that they are not offering enough courses and internships in the technology field. English majors need that to get a job in publishing companies other than having sharp grammar/public speaking skills. Publishing and newspaper are going digital now and more jobs are being cut in the field. The library is even moving to e-books where users can download them off of county websites. I worked with two long term substitute teachers last year who were once librarians and had their jobs cut because of the growth in technology in public libraries and less librarians are needed. I've also tried to get into publishing companies in the past and have been told that they want people with digital designing experience to be a qualified applicant.

 

If you haven't already, I would suggest taking a business writing course at a local community college and Microsoft certification courses (which are very cheap) to open more doors. I nearly headed into that direction until I got my teaching job.

[Firiel]

Just a warning, this post might collapse into frustration... and it's not at you. It's at some of the idiosynrasies of the world that you pointed out in your post.

 

I could take a business writing course, but... well... it seems like a total waste of time and money. I looked up what skills were taught and it just seemed to be dumbed down versions of the things I learned as an English major (like, how to write conclusions). I have taken business classes, and because of my training in writing I was able to look at an example of whatever we were supposed to do (SWOT analysis, marketing plan, whatever) and write a completely original one of my own. I already know how to write, and that knowledge translates into the business world. I could get Microsoft certification (and will look into it), but I am already quite proficient with Microsoft Word, Excell, Publisher, and PowerPoint. I think this all boils down to my frustration about the fact that I know I would be an excellent candidate for any job, whether in the publishing/editing world or in the corporate business world even, but I just can't get my foot in the door and get a chance. Once I'm given the chance, I always step up to the plate. They want me to prove it to them, and I can't really do that if I'm not given a chance.

[Snny]

I understand your frustration and have been down that road too. You know that you have great writing skills and are proficient in computers like a LOT of people are. That's the thing though... a lot of people are proficient and are going to write that on their application. When employers read through hundreds of applications and see the same thing written over and over without having anything to show for it, then they will question what MAKES a person proficient without receiving training and possibly toss the resume out. If you get a certification in Microsoft, you are saving companies money from training you and it benefits them to want to hire you. That's how several of my friends got jobs in the federal government because they took cheap Microsoft Certification classes to prove they have the digital skills they are looking for. Hell, that's how my mom got a job from Homeland Security though she does not have a college degree- the computer certifications gained her recognition.

 

If you have a certification in computers/Microsoft, it adds to your resume and a lot of employers are going to notice it. You have to make yourself stand out from thousands of other applicants who are saying they have great computer skills.